High tension ignition system



March 7, 1933. F, NUTTALL 1,900,022

HIGH TENSION IGNITION SYSTEM Original Filed July 12, 1930 33 55 S 5 I39 S g Z9 7 l I jwmznto'o fiedflzmiiazg Patented Mar. 7, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlcu D. NUTTALL, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-FOURTH TO LAURENCE III. MATEIEU, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA HIGH TENSION IGNITION SYSTEM r Application filed July 12, 1980, Serial 1T0. 467,561. Renewed June 4, 1982.

This invention relates to hi h tension ignition systems for internal com ustion engines, and has in view to provide a simple inexpensive system of this character which is highly efficient in operation. 7

According to the present practice, high tension ignition systems are inclusive as a rule of a switch or so-called breaker arm in the primary circuit of the system which is maintained normally closed to permit a strong flux to build up in the winding of said circuit to develop a high voltage in the secondary circuit each time that the primary circuit is opened. Usually a relatively strong spring is employed to urge the breaker arm to a circuit closing position, and an engine operated cam utilized to move said arm against the force of said spring to open the circuit at properly timed intervals At low engine speeds, systems of the fore going character are amply efiicient in operation, but above certain engine speeds such systems begin to lose their efliciency, until finally the system fails utterly to function when certain high engine speeds are attained.

At low engine speeds the primary circuit remains periodically closed a sulficient length of time to permit a strong flux to build up about the coil in said circuit, and as a consequence a high voltage affording a strong spark is induced in the secondary circuit when the primary circuit is opened. As the speed of the engine is increased, however, the time that the primary circuit remains closed between successive circuit opening movements of the breaker arm is proportionately diminished, with the obvious result that the voltage in the secondary circuit is progressively lowered and the spark is correspondingly weakened. Thus, for each different engine speed within the operative limits of high tension ignition systems employing a so-called breaker arm, there is a difference in the intensity of the spark, which is a serious disadvantage from many different viewpoints, the spark becoming weaker and weaker as the speed of the engine is increased and finally failing utterly, as heretofore stated, when a certain high speed of the engine is attained, due to opening movements of the breaker arm occurring so rapidly as not to permit the s ring to function to move the arm to a close posltion.

In ignition systems of the character mentioned where the intensity of the spark varies with chan es in the speed of the engine, a delicate ad1ustment of the contact points, one of which is carried by the breaker arm, is required to be maintained, and due to the destructive hammering action on these contact points during operation of the system,

such contact points not only deteriorate rapidly, but their deterioration necessitates their frequent readjustment and replacement. Moreover, the breaker-arm mechanism constitutes one of the chief items of expense in the installation and maintenance cost of ignition systems employing such mechamsms.

Accordingly, the present invention has in view to provide a hlgh tension ignition system which is effective to produce a spark of uniform intensity at all en 'ne speeds, and to accomplish this purpose y the substantial elimination of all mechanically operating elements such as the breaker arm and the related elements of most present high tension ignition systems,thereby to provide a system which is equally efficient in operation at all engine speeds, which is materially less expensive to install and to maintain than most present systems, which eliminates the necessity for frequent anl delicate adjustments of any part thereof, and which is thoroughly reliable in operation during long periols of use.

With the foregoing and other purposes in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and defined in the appended claims.

In the drawing, wherein like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the different views: 7

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic illustration of a high tension ignition system embodying the novel features of the invention.

Figures 2 is a vertical section through the disgributor mechanism of the present system; an

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 taken at rightthereto.

By reference to the drawing it will be observed that the present igmtlon system com 'prisesrelatively few parts and that these are of such a simple nature as to possess long life and to be produced and embodied in the system at relatively small cost.

In carrying the present invention into practice, according to a practical embodiment thereof, a source of current, such as an ordinary storage battery 10, is grounded at one side, as at 11, and at 1ts other side is ening the circuit which again is closed when said arm, which is released by opening the *said contact. A manuall circuit, moves to its normal position against operable switch 18 is interposed in the con uctor 12, and thus,

' when said switch is closed, the circiiit through the winding 13 is alternately opened and closed by the arm 14 as is manifest. Preferably, a condenser 19 is interposed between the arm 14 and the contact 15 for the usual purpose.

The foregoing elements constitute the primary circuit of the resent system, the secondary circuit of w ich is composed of a winding 20 disposed in suitable cooperative relation to the winding 13, and which is ounded at one end,'as at 21, and connected at its other end. by a conductor 22 with a distributor mechanism designated generally as 23.

,T e distributor. mechanism 23 includes a suitable base 24 through which extends a rotatable shaft 25 which is suitably driven at a rop'er rate of speed by the engine.

ounted on the base 24 is a distributor cap 26 of suitable insulating material, such as hard rubber, having a central contact 27 and one or more distributing contacts 28, the number of which is. dependent, of course, upon the number of engine cylinders.

Mounted on the shaft 25 for rotation therewith is a distributor arm 29 which also is formed of suitable insulating material such as hard rubber and which has embedded therein a conductor 30, the same being exposed atone end for continuous engagement with the central contact 27 and exposed at its other end for cooperation with the distributthe surfaces of the cap 26 and the distributor arm 28, respectively, through which they are exposed, thereby to guard against undesirable jumping of the high tension current between said contacts. I,

The conductor 22 of the high tension circuit of the system is connected with the con tact 27, and from the contact or contacts 28, as the case may be, a conductor or conductors 31 is or are connected with the usual spark plug or plugs 32 of the engine cylinder or cylinders.

In view of the foregoing, the operation of the system will be apparent as follows: Upon closing the switch 18 the primary circuit is energized and said circuit is rapidly opened and closed by the arm 14 continuously and at a fixed rate of speed for all engine'speeds so long as said switch remains closed, thereby inducing a substantially continuous and umform high voltage current in the secondary circuit, and as the distributor arm 29 rotates with the shaft 25, establishing a circuit between the conductor 22 and the contact or contacts 28, this high tension current is distributed to the plug or lugs 32, the intensity of the spark obviously eing uniform for all engine speeds.

If desired, means may be provided between each adjacent pair. of the contacts 28 to 7 ground the high tension current in any instance where the system includes two or more such contacts 28, thereby to provide a positive means of preventing the high tension current from jum ing between any two of said contacts 28 or romthe conductor 30 to other than a desired contact 28. Conveniently, such means may comprise a conductor 33 embeddedin the cap 26 between each adjacent pair of the contacts 28, and having one end exposed within the cap for cooperating with the distributing conductor 30and the other end exposed at the lower edge of the cap'for groun ing, it is believed that-the construction and. operation of the 'present ignition system will clearly be understood and its advantages appreciated First and foremost, the uniform or non-varying intensity of the spark afforded by the present system is conducive to smooth engine operation at all speeds, second, greater power and higher engine speeds are attainable with the present system than witha system employing a so-called breaker arm, due to the intensity of the spark being the same at high engine speeds as at low engine speeds; third, by reason of the spark of uniform intensity for all engine speeds, particularly eflicicnt results are obtained from the fuel contact with the distributor base 24. From the foregoing description considered in connection with the accompanying drawconsumed by the engine, especially at high speeds of the engine; and fourth, by avoiding the use of a so-called breaker mechanism, not only is the present system less expensive to install and to maintain than a system employing such a mechanism, but practically all of the many disadvantages and troubles which may be traced either directly or indirectly to the breaker mechanism of systems em loying such'a mechanism are eliminated.

ile a specific structural embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be appreciated that the invention is capable of various other specific 4. In a high tension ignition system, a dis-' tributor mechanism comprising a housing of insulating material, spaced contacts carried thereby, a movable distributor member carrying a conductor for successive cooperation with said contacts, a source of high tension current, means whereby said high tension current is supplied to the conductor of said distributor member during its cooperation with said contacts and also during its entire movement between adjacent pairs of said contacts, and means to prevent the current from jumping between the conductor of said distributor member and more than one of said contacts in any given position of the distributor member, said last named means comprising insulation completely surrounding the conductor of said distributor member between its ends,and a grounded contact be tween each adjacent pair of said first mentioned contacts.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

FRED D. NUTTALL.

rent is supplied to said distributor member during its cooperation with said contacts and also during its entire movement between adjacent pairs of said contacts, and means between each adjacent pair of contacts for grounding said conductor during a portion of the movement thereof between each adjacent pair of said contacts.

2. In an ignition system, a distributor mechanism comprising spaced contacts insulated from one another and adapted for connection with spark plugs, respectively, a distributor member movable for successive coo eration with said contacts, a source of higli tension current, means whereby said high tension current is supplied to said distributor member during its cooperation with said contacts and also during its entire movement between adjacent pairs of said contacts, and means to prevent the current from jumping between said distributor member and more than one of said contacts in any given position of the distributor member.

3. In an ignition system, a distributor mechanism comprising spaced contacts insulated from one another and adapted for connection with spark plugs, respectively, a

distributor member movable for successive cooperation with said contacts, a source of high tension current, means whereby said high tension current is supplied'to said distributor member during its cooperation with said contacts and also during its entire movement between adjacent pairs of said con tacts, and means to prevent the current from jumping between said distributor member and more than one of said contacts in any given position of the distributor member, said last mentioned means comprising a grounded contact between each adjacent pair of said first mentioned contacts. 

